reprogramming

DNA origami nanostructures (blue) can be used to program the shape of virus particles (grey). The native capsid with a diameter of 28 nanometers is shown in green-grey. Credit: Mauri A. Kostiainen/Aalto UniversityProteins that encapsulate viruses can be molded into defined shapes using DNA and RNA origami nanostructures.Bioengineers have discovered a method to customize the size and shape of virus particles. This new approach, which involves merging viral protein building blocks and DNA templates, offers potential…

For all they do for us, our hearts aren't very good at repairing themselves. So when a person suffers a heart attack, their blood pump is left with a large amount of scar tissue, which can impede the organ's flexibility and thereby its function. Inspired by the way young hearts heal themselves, researchers have now found a way to transmute scar tissue into healthy tissue in mice, thereby walking back some of the damage brought about by heart attacks.In the United States alone, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds,…

As with many autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation is linked to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), a condition that attacks the sheaths around nerves and can lead to muscle weakness and spasms, difficulty walking or moving, stiffness, pain and more. While current methods of dealing with the disease focus on symptom management, researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA) were interested in seeing if the inflammation-causing mechanism could be turned off at its source. So, they investigated the microbes…

Mice live only months in the wild but can survive two to three years in the lab. Those in the latest experiment were already 124 weeks old when they got the drug—close to the end of their lives. Not only did the treated mice survive noticeably longer, according to Davidsohn, but they also scored better on measures of general health. The amount of life extension observed is not in itself unprecedented. A US government program that tests drugs for their longevity effects has shown that several compounds, including the drug…